Punctuation-

Punctuation shows how you say something. If you don't use punctuation right, your reader may not be able to read it the same wary you would.

Periods are used when you finish a sentence. You use periods when you finish a sentence that does not need to be emphasized or said excitedly. The following examples show cases in which you should use periods:"I burnt my hand on the stove.""My friend's birthday party was yesterday.""my dog is sleeping."

Exclamationpoints are used when you want your reader to know that you saying something with excitement. The following examples show in what cases you should use an exclamation point:"I love my new shoes!""My cousin was just born!"

Apostrophes are a contraction of a word, and you leave out a letter. For example: "Didn't" Didn't is a contraction for the two words: Did not. There is an apostrophe where the "o" should be.The following examples show more words that should have an apostrophe in them:Couldn't This example in two words is: could not. "Couldn't" is missing an "o."Shouldn't This example in two words is: should not. "Shouldn't" is missing an "o."

Apostrophes are also used to show possession. For example: "That shirt is Ryan's." The apostrophe tells you that the shirt belongs to Ryan.Here are some more examples of where apostrophes are used for possession:"I'm wearing Clara's shoes.""Hannah's skirt got dirty."

Questionmarks are used to show that you are asking a question. For example: "How come elephants are gray?"The following are some more examples of when you would use question marks:"Why is your bed blue?""Where did Chris go?"

Commas are used for many different reasons. For one, you can use commas to separate parts of a sentence. For example: "Many people do not consider gymnastics a sport, but I think it involves just as much effort as any other sport."

Another usage of commas is to set-off phrases or words that aren't needed in a sentence. For example: "My sister, Dominique, is the best student in the school." The word Dominique is not needed in the sentence. This is how the sentence would sound without it: "My sister is the best student in the school." The sentence still makes sense without "Dominique," but by using it you're adding more detail.

One last usage of commas that I'm going to tell you is to list things. For example: "I like apples, oranges, pears, and plums." The comma before the"and" is optional. Each individual fruit is separated by a comma.